Machine for coating wafers



J. R. BRANDT MACHINE FOR COATING WAFERS Aug. 17, 1954 l 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 6, 1951 INVENTOR.

Aug. 17, 1954 J. R. BRANDT v MACHINE FoR coATING wAFERs v"5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 195] INVENTOR. 3ra/mit,

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Aug. 17, 1954 J. R. BRANDT 2,685,482

MACHINE FOR COATING WAFERS Filed June 6, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR. Lg) Johnmmi,

Jaw, @MMM Patented Aug. 17, 1954 JNITED' STATES- PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR COATING WAFERS John R. Brandt, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Salerno Machinery Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application June 6, 1951, Serial No. 230,210

(Cl. 10W-27,),

6 Claims. 1

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application S. N. 47,463, filed September 2, 1948, now U. S. Patent Number 2,563,813, issued August 14, 1951'.

rThis invention relates to a machine-for coating wafers or flat cakes, and more particularly to a novel hopper control mechanismA for use with a hopper adapted to slide over stencil openings-during application of ay confectionery coating to a Wafer or cake.

The invention involves improvements in the type of machine disclosed in Patent No. 1,570,405 granted January 19, 1926, to Ferdinando G. Salerno, and more particularly the invention comprises an improvement in the hopper control and actuating mechanism disclosed in my' copending application S. N. 47,463, filed September 2, 1948, now U. S. Patent Number 2,563,813. The machine to which my inprovements relate is in the general class adapted for large scale production of sandwich cookies or cakes of the type-comprising a confection material such as chocolate or sugar icing interposed between a` pair of top and bottom wafers.

The slidable coating. hopper disclosed in said Salerno patent, and also utilized in other similar machines, was adapted tofbe lled With a confection material which was fed from the bottom thereof and forced through stencill openings in a stencil cox onto the upper surfaces of a plurality of wafers. The bottom of the hopper was open at all times and Was provided with relatively broad flat bearing surfaces which slidably engaged the upper surface of the stencil plate for reciprocal movement thereover. The plane of the bottom bearingv surfaces of the hopper remained parallel with the upper surface of the stencil plate at all times during reciprocation.

l/lf'hile this construction was relatively satisfactory in general operation, it nevertheless required constant attention in that after a relatively feiv reciproca-tions over the stencil plate, a quantity of the coating material became smeared in a thick layer over the stencil plate and piled up at either end of the stencil box at the end of they hopper strokes. This caused the hopper to be raisedoff the stencil plate so that the coating was not cleanly applied to the Wafer and was corsiderably thicker than that desired and determined by the thickness of the stencil plate. Moreover, the coatingv material, which was oi relatively thick plastic consistency, as it increased in quantity and thickness on the stencil plate tended to retard machine operationA and often was forced over'the upstanding marginal 2 walls of the stencil boxand spilled' onto the machine parts, the conveyor belt, and the wafers themselves.

As a result, it Was necessary to shut down the entire machiner at frequent intervals to clean oii the surface of the stencil plate and the Walls'of the stencil box, which stoppage, multiplied by the number of times required therefor during a Working day, necessarily reduced' to a considerable extent theV daily machine output. Furthermore, an operator was required to maintain aconstant vigil adjacent the hopper and stencil' box so that the condition could be revealed before it Was built up tov an extreme, thus increasing labor costs and the ultimate cost of the finished product.

In the inventiony described in my copending application Si. N'. 47,463, now U. S. Patent Number 2,563,813, the aforementioned diiiiculties are overcome byl means of a novel hopper and operating. mechanism whichy permitY the hopper to be reciprocated across the stencilplate While atthe same time being tilted sothat the bottom edges of the hopper serve asscraping edges to keep the stencilplateclean. The hopper tilsor rocks in alternate directions as it moves back and forth across the stencil plate, and substantially the entire Weight of the hopper isborne by the stencil plate as the scraping edges ofthe hopper engage the stencil plate in intimate line bearing contact therewith.

Although the mechanism described and claimed in` my above-mentioned copending application constitutesa vastimprovement in coating machines ofthe type here involved, nevertheless, I have found thatthere are certain disadvantages in permitting the entire Weight of the hopper to be disposed against the stencil plate during the reciprocating scraping movement of the hopper. Thel primaryy disadvantage in this respect is that the stencil plate tends to wear through tooquickly because of the repeated abrasive scraping action of the hopper. I, have now discovered a means, of mountingV and actuating the reciprocable rockable hopper so that there is no undue Wear on the stencilv plate-While at the Sametime realizing, all. of the advantageous operating features of my previous invention.v

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide, inf a coating machine of the typedescribed, a novel and` improved hopper adapted to` reciprocate in slidable Contact With a stencil plateA through-the open bottom of which the confection` coating may be fed through stencilopenings without smearing or spreading over the surface of the stencil plate.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved hopper support and actuating mechanism for a coating machine of the type described whereby combined reciprocating and rocking movement of the hopper is eifected without excessive wear on the stencil plate.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as this description progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a machine for coating wafers to which one embodiment of the improved hopper control mechanism comprising my invention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and illustrating the operating positions of the hopper and associated elements of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan View of the hopper and the front or feed end of the machine; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the hopper showing its position relative to the die or stencil plate as it slides thereover to apply a confection coating on a wafer therebelow.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that the wafer coating machine to which the hopper control mechanism of the present invention has been applied comprises generally a supporting frame structure having vertical, longitudinally extending plates I and a plurality of cross pieces or braces, some of which will be referred to specifically hereinafter. As will hereinafter be described in detail, the various operating shafts of the machine are supported between these side plates I I). At the top of the frame structure there is supported an intermittently movable conveyor belt I I which extends from the front or feed end of the machine (the left end as viewed in Fig. l) to the rear or delivery end thereof (the right end as seen in Fig. 1). The wafers are fed onto the moving conveyor belt I0 by a feeding mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral I 2, and they then pass under the improved hopper and stencil mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral I3, where they are coated with an icing or similar confection material. The belt II is stationary during the stenciling operation.

After receiving the confection coating, the wafers then pass under a second wafer feeding mechanism, indicated generally by the numeral I 4, from which top wafers are positioned down onto the coating. Thus there are formed composite cookies of the sandwich type comprising top and bottom wafers with the confection material therebetween. The completed sandwich cookies thereafter pass from the machine to a loading area in which they are removed from the conveyor and placed in containers.

The belt i I, as shown best in Fig. 1, is endless in construction, and at its left end it extends around and is supported by a drum IG and at its right end it extends around a smaller drum or roller` (not shown). Intermittent movement of the drum I6 is eected by means of a ratchet wheel I'I loosely mounted on a cross rock shaft I8 and secured to the drum I6, the drum IE also being supported on the shaft I8 for rotative movement relative thereto. The ratchet wheel II is engaged by a pawl I9 pivoted to the upper end of a short arm 20 fixed to the cross shaft I8 and extending upwardly at a forty-five degree angle therefrom. Depending from and fixed to the cross shaft i3 is another short arm 2i, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to the upper end of a pitman rod 22. rThe rod 22 is eccentrically mounted on a continuously rotating shaft 23 so that through the rod 22 and the arm 2 I, the arm 2c is rocked from left to right causing the pawl I 9 to intermittently rotate the drum it and advance the belt ii to the right in a stepwise manner.

Although not shown in the drawings, it will be understood that the shaft 23, which is the main riving shaft of the machine, extends transversely of the machine and is supported at its ends in suitable bearings secured in the side plates IQ. Rotation of the shaft 23 is effected by a sprocket and chain drive (not shown) which extends to the rear of the machine and is operably connected through suitable driving connections to a source of power such as an electric motor (not shown). A manual clutch lever 2d is provided for regulating a clutch mechanism connecting the main drive shaft 23 with the power source.

The cookie feeding mechanism i2 is also operated off the shaft 23 as seen best in Fig. l. A horizontal rod 29 has its right end eccentrically secured to the shaft 23 and its forward end adjustably and pivotally connected by a pin and slot connection to the lower end of a rocking lever Si). The lever 3G is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a short cross shaft 3i supported in the machine frame and its upper end is pivoted to the rear end of a short link 32 secured to the rear end of a reciprocable slide 33. Above the slide 33 there is supported a wafer magazine 35: comprising a plurality of vertical chutes adapted to receive a plurality of pre-baked wafers in stacked relation which feed downwardly by gravity onto a table 35 over which the slide 33 reciprocates. The magazine 3@ is spaced above the table 3S a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the wafer to permit one wafer at a time to drop below each of the chutes. rihe slide 33 is slightly less in thickness than the thickness of the wafer and its right or rearward edge is adapted to engage the plurality of wafers and to push them oi the table 35 onto the belt H. When the slide 3S is retracted to the left, another group of wafers drop down onto the table 36 and they in turn are also forced onto the belt as the slide is again moved to the right.

As the belt ii thereafter moves intermittently to the right, the wafers are moved under a flat horizontal stencil plate 3l (Figs. 2 and A) having a plurality of transversely aligned openings 38 therethrough. The plate 3l is removably sup ported in a rectangular stencil box Sla having upright walls 3e and a bottom Il with an enlarged space or opening 46a, the plate 3l resting on the bottom i5 and the openings 3S being superimposed over the space Mia. An elongated hopper 5I is slidably supported above the stencil plate 3l for reciprocal scraping movement over the to surface thereof and is adapted to be filled with a quantity of confection material of a rather high viscosity. The hopper 4I which is open at both its top and bottom is formed by side walls d? and vertical end walls 43. The side walls 52 taper downwardly and inwardly toward each other to form a throat a short distance above the stencil plate at which point the walls 42 taper outwardly in the reverse direction to provide a flared bottom.

As the hopper reciprocates it moves from one discarica side. of the stencil boxto.. the otherv passing over.I

the. openings 38 on each stroke, the openings conforming to the shape of the wafer but being slightly less than the diameter thereof. When the hopper di passes over the openings 38 a quantity of the' coating material is forced down within each opening 38 and onto the top surface of thev wafer which i's held in raised position up against the under surface of the stencil plate 3l by a mechanism to be described presently. As shown in Fig. 4, theY thickness of the stencil plate 3l determines the thicknessof the coating, indicated. at All, whichis applied to a wafer 46.

The hopperl sl is rockably supported relative to the stencil plate 3l', in a manner to be described presently, in orderthatV only one of' the side walls i2 thereof will contact the stencil plate 3TI during sliding scraping movement and the other side wall will be slightly raised therefrom. By such a construction the bearing engagement of the hopper di with the stencil plate 3ll will be restricted to a knife edge or line Contact and the confection material does not have suicient body to hold the hopper out of such contact. Consequently, as the hopper di slides over the plate, it scrapes clean the upper surface of the plate and prevents the coating material from working its way out over. the stencil plate surface and from forming large masses at the ends of the hopper strokes. The rocking movement of the hopper di occurs at the end of each stroke so that the hopper slides irst in one direction on one line edge of the bottom of one side wall i2 and then in the other direction on the line edge of the bottom of the opposite side wall d2.

The mechanism for causing reciprocal sliding and rocking movement of the hopper l l, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a pair of horizontally disposed bars or slides 4l slidably supported adjacent each end wall i3 of the hopper in grooved horizontal guides 45 secured to the frame of the machine. The slides di are held down within the guides l5 by retaining plates t8 secured to the 'top surfaces of the guides d5. An upstanding bracket le is secured to each of the slides Il?, each of the brackets extending angular-ly and rearwardly to provide a pair of offset supporting yckes 5l at the upper ends thereof. ri'he hopper di is rockably supported on the brackets le by means of `a pair of pivot pins 52 extending rigidly from the upper portions of the hopper end walls i3 into the yokes 5l. For regulating the elevation of the hopper di above the stencil plate 3l, each of the pivot pins 52 is provided with a diametrically extending adjusting screw 53 which seats in the yoke 5i of the corresponding bracket e9. Each screw 53 has a lock nut 54 for retaining the screw in adjusted position.

t will readily be seen that by adjusting the screws 53 the degree of clearance or contact between the bottom of the hopper Il! and the stencil plate 3l can be closely controlled and consequently the pressure or load on the stencil plate need not become excessive. Limited pivotal or rocking movement of the hopper il is easily effected, as hereinafter described, because of the pivotal relation of the screws 53 to the yokes 5I. reason of the adjustment provided by the screws 53 the entire weight of the hopper di need not be exerted on the stencil plate 3'! and, in practice, the screws 53 may be regulated to provide a minimum effective scraping pressure during reciprccation of the hopper 4l across the plate. As the plate 31 tends to wear or abrade with continued use, the screws 53 can be adjusted to Byk maintain the proper degree: of scraping contact and pressure; InV addition, the plate` 3l which rests on the. bottom of the stencil box may be readily removed and replaced when wear becomes excessive.

Actuation of the slides 4l is accomplished by means of a pair of reciprocating elongated arms 5S extending forwardly and provided with downwardly curved front ends which are pivotally connected to the hopper il by a pair` of pins or studs 51 extending rigidly from the lower portions of the hopper end walls 43 through apertures in the armsE. The arms 56 are caused to reciprocate longitudinally by upright rocker arms 58 pivotally connected at their upper ends to the rear ends of the arms 55. Although not shown in the drawings, the rocker arms 58 are mounted on a rock `shaft and are moved back andi forthv by a suitable cam arrangement and operating connections with the main drive shaft 23. The details of the driving and operating mechanism by which the rocker arms 5S are operated form no part of the present invention and reference is made to my copending application S. N; 47,463, now U. S. Patent Number 2,563,813, for a complete description thereof.

As thearms 5t reciprocate in opposite directions, the pins 5'! are moved into coasting engagement with the rear edges of the 1brackets 4S inone direction of movement and with a pair of blocks 59 inthe opposite direction of movement, the blocks iig-being rigidly mounted on the slides il in rearwardly spaced relation with re- Spect to the brackets iig. Thus, reciprocating movement of the arms is transmitted to the slides el whereby to accomplish bodily reciprocating movement of the hopper M which is supported on the slides il by means of the brackets 49. Inasmuch as' the force of the arms 55 is rst exerted in one direction or the other at the bottom portion of the hopper di and the hopper is rockably supported at its upper portion on the yokes di, it will readily be seen that a tilting movement is first imparted to the hopper 4i before sliding movement is realised. In other words, atthe rear end of a stroke the pins 5i are in abutment with the blocks 59 and beforeA reversal of sliding movement can begin the pins must shift to engagement with the rear edges of the brackets 49. Similarly, at the forward end of a stroke the pins 5l must shift from the brackets 49 into abutment with the blocks 59. During this free shifting movement of the pins 5l it will be seen that the hopper il is tilted in the appropriatedirection to obtain scraping engagement of the trailing bottom edge of the hopper opening with the stencil plate 31.

In order to insure proper tilting of the hopper 4l at the extreme end of each sliding stroke of the slides lll and before movement in the reverse direction starts, provide an adjustable braking mechanism to retard the sliding movement of the slides 4l. This mechanism comprises an elongated friction member or shoe 6! slidably engaging the outer edge of one of the` slides d? and having a pair of outwardly extending guide pins 62. A coacting support 5s is rigidly mounted onA the outer wall of the stencil box 31a by means of a pair of screws GA and is spaced outwardly from the shoe ii l. For urging the shoe-6i against the slide fill, a pair of spring members bear against the shoe ill and extend through suitable apertures 6l' and aligned outwardly projecting. tubular portions 38 on the support 63. Each. tubular portion. e8 is internally threaded and is fitted with a set screw S9 for adjusting the spring pressure and the degree of frictional contact of the shoe l with the slide A?. The guide pins 62 on the shoe 5i are slidably received in suitable apertures or bores 'H in the support 63. By this arrangement it will be understood that the spring pressed shoe 5l causes sufficient frictional drag on the movement of the slides 41 so that as soon as the direction of movement of the arms 5S is reversed, the hopper il will tend to remain in its same position relative to the stencil box and will iirst undergo rocking movement before actual engagement of the pins 5l' with the brackets t9 or the blocks 5S causes reverse sliding movement of the hopper.

This movement of the hopper lll is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings. in Fig. 4 the hopper di is illustrated in the course of its movement from right to left with the lower edge oi the right side wall d2 or the hopper being in line contact with the upper surface of the stencil plate 3'! and with the lower edge of the left side wall l2 of the hopper di being in raised position. In Fig. 2 the hopper is shown as it appears at each end of its strokes but before it has been rocked for the return stroke. The hopper shown in full lines at the right still has the lower edge of its left side wall l2 in engagement with the upper surface of the stencil plate 3l, this line Contact having existed all the time the hopper was moving from the left position to the right position. However, as the arms 5S begin their movement to the left, the braking arrangement above described tends to resist movement of the slides il until the pins dl' shift out of engagement with the blocks 5S and into engagement with the brackets d'9- thus causing the hopper to tilt relative to the upper surface of the stencil plate 3l so that the lower edge of the right side wall di. will now be moved downwardly into scraping line contact with the stencil plate 3'? and the lower edge of the left side wall 42 raised therefrom before the slides lll start to move to the left.

Similarly when the hopper reaches the left hand position as shown in Fig. 2 and the slide begins its movement to the right, the pins Tl will first eiiect tilting of the hopper il in the opposite direction before direct engagement of the pins 5l with the blocks 59 causes sliding movement of the slides l in the opposite direction.

By means of this scraping or squeegeeing action of the trailing edge of the hopper in line contact with the stencil plate 3l, the coating material within the hopper is coniined between the flared bottoms of the side walls d2 during sliding movement thereof across the stencil plate 3l and also during the time when the hopper is rocked at the ends of its strokes. Because of the line contact between the trailing edge of the hopper and the stencil plate 3l none of the coating material is left behind on the stencil plate during sliding movement but is always forced ahead of the trailing edge. It is to be noted that because the advance edge of the hopper is raised from the stencil plate there is a space through which the coating material might pass were it not for the fact that the movement of the hopper is suiiiciently rapid and the coating material is suilicientll7 DMS/Sic 6G DT- vent such leakage. The advance raised edge always remains ahead of the coating material which is forced down by a mechanism to be later described against the upper surface of the stencil plate 31 irrimediately inwardly 0f the advance edge. Thus when the hopper 4l is rocked and the other edge moves downwardly into contact with the stencil plate 3l', no coating material is interposed therebetween. The engagement, therefore, between the hopper edges and the stencil plate is in most instances a clean line contact. However, in the event the viscosity of the coating material is of a lower degree so that it is somewhat more owable to permit slight leakage ahead of the raised side wall of the hopper during sliding movement, nevertheless because of the line contact the edge of the hopper upon rocking movement will cut down through such coating material into intimate engagement with the stencil plate and wipe the plate clean on its return movement. It is thus apparent that by this novel form of hopper and hopper control mechanism the stencil box is kept relatively free of coating material and no large masses thereof are permitted to form at each end of the hopper stroke. Consequently, most or all of the coating material is forced down through the stencil openings 38 onto the wafers therebelow and the services of an operator in seeing that the stencil box is kept clean are dispensed with.

in order to raise the wafers il@ up aga-inst the under surface of the stencil plate 3l? there is provided a channel-shaped member 'l2 which extends transversely o the machine beneath the belt il, the upper edges of the channel member 'i2 being adapted to engage the under surface ci the belt Il at points spaced from either of the wafers so as not to damage the same. The channel-shaped member l2, as shown in detail in my aforementioned copending application S. N. 47,463, is secured to slidable lifting rods (not shown) suitably supported on the frame of the machine and arranged for cam actuated operation in synchronization with movement of the hopper di so that the wafers Ils will be raised into position (Fig. 4) under the stencil plate 3l prior to the time the hopper Iii slides over the stencil plate to deposit a coating 4t simultaneously on each of the wafers.

After the coating 44 has been applied to the upper surfaces of the wafers, the coated wafers tend to adhere to the under surface of the stencil plate 3'! due to the tackiness of the coating material. Provision is therefore made for releasing the coated wafers so they may be restored to position on the belt il as it is lowered for further intermittent movement. This releasing or stripping means comprises two sets of stripping or punch-out fingers 'i9 arranged in aligned groups on each side of the hopper il and adapted to be projected downwardly through the hopper openings 38 so as to push the coated wafers down away from the stencil plate 3l. The sets of stripping fingers 19 are alternately operable after the hopper di has passed over the stencil plate openings 33 and is approaching the end of its stroke.

Each of the sets of stripping fingers lil depends from a transversely extending bar 86 having upwardly turned ends at each side thereof secured to vertically slidable blocks Q2 at each side of the hopper. The transversely opposed blocks 82 at each side of the machine are secured together by cross bars or braces 83 so as to operate in their vertical movements as a unit. Each of the blocks 82 is provided with a central opening through which extend vertically directed rods 8d secured to the upper surface of the slides lll. Projecting outwardly from each of the blocks B2 on each side of the machine is a roller 86 which is adapted to engage the upper surfaces of two inclined tracks 9 '31 and .88 on -each sideof the machine secured on the-guide rmembers 35.

The stripper bars are,'therefore, adapted to be raised and lowered at appropriate times as the hopper moves from one side of the stencil plate to the other. Referring to Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, it will be seen that when the hopper 4I is in its right hand position on the stencil plate 31, the right hand stripper mechanism and its roller 86 is adjacent the upper right end of the trackway 88. As the hopper di moves to the left, the stripping mechanism is also carried to the left on the slides 41, the roller 86 rolling down the inclined track 88 to the lower end thereof. When this point is reached, the hopper has entirely passed over the stencil plate openings v35 and the coated lwafer is ready to be released. Thus-at this point the stripping ngers 19 are permitted to drop down through the stencil plate openings 38 with a sharp sudden movement so as to punch out the adhering wafers without separating the coating therefrom. This sudden dropping movement of the stripping ngers 79 is caused by the sudden dropping olf of the rollers 86 from the trackway S8, the trackways 8l and 88 being spaced apart at their lower adjacent edges to permit the roller 86 to drop downwardly therebetween.

Similarly, when the hopper lll is in its left hand position as shown in -Fig. 2 by the broken lines, the stripper mechanism on the left side thereof is at the upper end of the inclined trackway 81, and as the hopper 4| is moved to the right, the stripping mechanism is gradually lowered until the roller 8B thereof suddenly drops off the lower end of the trackway 8l, the coated wafers which were coated on the movement of the hopper from left to right thus being punched 'downwardlyin similar manner.

Before the hopper lll may commence its return stroke, it is necessary to elevate the stripping mechanism and the stripping fingers 19 from the stencil plate openings 38 and this is accomplished by vertical lift rods 89 on each side of the machine which are adapted to engage the rollers 86 of each of the stripping mechanisms. The lift rods 89, as disclosed in detail in my copending application S. N. 47,463, now U. S. Patent Number 2,563,813, are slidably supported on the frame of the machine and are cam actuated in synchronized operation with movement of the hopper 4| so as to lift the rollers 85 above the lower edges of either the trackways 8l or 88 just before the'hopper 4l commences its return movement. The lift rods 89 thus serve to elevate at the proper times both the right and left strip-per mechanisms.

In order that the coating material may be under vconstant feeding pressure within the hopper 4l as the hopper slides over the stencil plate openings 38, there is provided a vertically reciprocable pressure means 93, shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe drawings. This pressure means comprises an enlarged cylindrical bar 94 extending horizontally within the hopper between the side walls i3 thereof for movement downwardly from approximately the center line of the hopper. This enlarged pressure bar 94 is supported by spaced vertical bars 95 whose upper ends are in turn secured to a horizontal cross bar 9T, the respective ends of which project beyond the end walls 43 of the hopper. These projecting ends of the cross bar 91 are provided with depending arms 98 and the lower ends of these depending arms are provided With oppositely directed slide bars 99 so as to form an inverted sloping T. The slide bars 99 -are adapted to alternately engage the upper surfaces-of the-tracks '8l and 83 andthey are of il@ sufcient length to bridge `,the gap between the tracks ,81 and 83. The -slide bars 99 are also angularly disposed `with respect to the depending arms 98 so as to be inplanes parallel to the tracks 3l and 83, respectively, thus :facilitating sliding movement.

The vertical Ibars 96 of :the pressuremeans-93 adjacent the end walls t3 vof the hopper are slidably received in vertical channels t5 cut in the inner surface -of the .end walls Ill of the hopper so rthat the vertical movement of the pressure means 93 -isguidedrthereby Thus when the hopper is moved 1from-one endof ,the stencil plate 3l toward the'openings v3,8, the pressure -bar 'Bil mores downwardly within the hopper exert- -ing a pressure-on the coating lmaterial below it, this llowering of the pressure bar Q4 being `permitted `the slide -bars -99 slide'downwardly on one of the inclnedztracksr'! or 88, and the point of greatest ypressure being directly over the center or the openings `38 in the stencil ;plate l3l. .as the hopper continues :on toward the `end of its stroke, the'pressure bar is then raisedas the bar 99 slides up the opposite track.

After the Ywafers k46 have vbeen coated land released fromthe stencil plate 3'! by the stripping mechanism, they -continue intermittently onwar-dlyon the belt YIl until they pass `under another wafer vmaga-zine 109 (Fig. l) also comprising a plurality of vertical chutes. These chutes are also filled with wafers whichare fed onto the .coating material M of the previously coated wafers by Yir1'eans:of-a slide iti operably connected -with the motor in a manner similar to rst feeding mechanism l2, thereby forminga sandwichcookie.

Although .there vhas been described above and illustrated in the drawings a preferred embodiment of a hopper vand 1hopper controlmechanism for a wafer coating machine, it is to be understood that vchanges and modifications may 4be made in the Vstructural details and mode vof operation thereof without departing `from the spirit and scope of .theappended claims.

I claim:

l. In amachine for coating cakes having a stencil plate with anopening therein and means for supporting a cake adjacent said opening, the combination .comprising a hopper vhaving opposed side walls anda bottomopening between said side walls and being adapted for tilting movement and for reciprocating sliding `movement across said stencil .plate in engagement therewith, a pair of elongated slides reciprocably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the hopper at the oppositeends thereof, upright hopper supports carried on said slides, vertically movable pivot means rockably supporting said hopper at theupper portion thereof on said supports, adjustable means-coacting with said pivot .means ,and with said Ysupports for regulating the clearance between said hopper and said stencil plate, and actuating ineansoperatively engaging said slides and saidfhopper at the lowerportion of the latter for effecting tilting and reciproca tion of the hopper, said hopper thereby being rockably mounted `for tilting movement relative to said plate and the lower edge of only one side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted inone direction vand ymoved across said plate and the lower edge A of Vonly the other side 'wall being adapted to bein scraping `contact with said-plate when the hopper is tilted in the opposite direction and moved in the lreturn direction across i1 the plate, and said adjustable means permitting control of the scraping pressure of the lower edges of the hopper side walls as the hopper moves across the stencil plate whereby to avoid excessive wear of the plate.

2. In a machine for coating cakes having a stencil plate with an opening therein and means for supporting a cake adjacent said opening, the combination comprising a hopper having opposed side walls and a bottom opening between said side walls and being adapted for tilting movement and for reciprocating sliding movement across said stencil plate in engagement therewith, reciprocating means for moving said hopper back and forth across said stencil plate including a pair of elongated members slidably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the hopper at the opposite ends thereof, upright bracket means rigidly carried on said slidable members, pivot pins extending outwardly from the ends of said hopper at the upper portion thereof, said pins being journalled in the upper ends of said bracket means for rockably supporting the hopper above said stencil plate, actuating means operatively connected to said hopper at the lower portion thereof for tilting the hopper about its pivotal mounting on said bracket means and also operatively coacting with said elongated slidable members for reciprocating the latter, said hopper thereby being rockably mounted for tilting movement relative to said plate and the lower edge of only one side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in one direction and moved across said plate and the lower edge of only the other side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in the opposite direction and moved in the return direction across the plate, and adjusting screw means coacting with said bracket means and said pivot pins for regulating the clearance of said hopper above said stencil plate whereby to control the scraping pressure of the lower edges of the hopper side walls as the hopper moves across the plate.

3, ln machine for coating cakes having a stencil plate with an opening therein and means for supporting a cake adjacent said opening, the combination comprising a hopper having opposed side walls and a bottom opening between said side walls and being adapted for tilting movement and for reciprocating sliding movement across said stencil plate in engagement therewith, a pair of elongated slides reciprocably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the hopper at the opposite ends thereof, a pair of upright brackets rigidly carried on said slides, a pair of abutments rigidly carried on said slides and longitudinally spaced from said brackets, means for pivotally supporting said hopper at the upper portion thereof on said brackets, stud means extending rigidly at opposite ends of the lower portion of the hopper intermediate said brackets and said abutments for coaction therewith, and reciprocable actuating means connected to said stud means for eiecting tilting of the hopper and reciprocation ci said slides, said hopper thereby being rockably mounted for tilting movement relative to said plate and the lower edge of only one side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in one direction and moved across said plate and the lower edge of only the other side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the l2 hopper is tilted in the opposite direction and moved in the return direction across the plate.

4. In a machine for coating cakes having a stencil plate with an opening therein and means for supporting a cake adjacent said opening, the combination comprising a hopper having opposed side walls and a bottom opening between said side walls and being adapted for tilting movement and for reciprocating sliding movement across said stencil plate in engagement therewith, a pair of elongated slides reciprocably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the hopper at the opposite ends thereof, a pair of upright brackets rigidly carried on said slides, means pivotally supporting said hopper at the upper portion thereof on said brackets whereby to permit swinging movement of the lower end of said hopper, a pair of rigid abutments on said slides spaced from said brackets, a pair of studs extending rigidly from the lower portion of said hopper in between said brackets and said abutments, said studs being adapted to undergo limited movement between said brackets and said abutments for tilting the hopper about its upper pivotal support and said studs also being adapted to undergo alternate operative engagement with said brackets and said abutments for shitting said slides in opposite directions, and reciprocating actuating means operably connected to said studs for eiecting said tilting and shifting movements, said hopper thereby being rockably mounted for tilting movement relative to said plate and the lower edge of only one side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in one direction and moved across said plate and the lower edge of only the other side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in the opposite direction and moved in the return direction across the plate.

5. in a machine for coating cakes having a stencil plate with an opening therein and means for supporting a cake adjacent said opening, the combination comprising a hopper having opposed side walls and a bottom opening between said side walls and being adapted for tilting movement and for reciprocating sliding movement across said stencil plate in engagement therewith, a pair of elongated slides reciprocably mounted adjacent the lower portion of the hopper at the opposite ends thereof, upright bracket means rigidly carried on said slides and pivotally supporting said hopper at the upper portion thereof, abutment means carried on said slides in spaced relation from said bracket means, a pair of elements projecting rigidly from the lower portion of said hopper between said bracket means and said abutment means on the respective slides for coaction alternately with said bracket means and with said abutment means, reciprocable actuating means operatively connected to the lower portion of said hopper for tilting the latter about its upper pivotal mounting whereby said projecting elements are also engaged alternately with said bracket means and with said abutment means for shifting the slides in alternate directions, said hopper thereby being rockably mounted for tilting movement relative to said plate and the lower edge of only one side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in one direction and moved across said plate and the lower edge of only the other side wall being adapted to be in scraping contact with said plate when the hopper is tilted in the opposite direction and moved in the return direction across the plate, and adjustable brake means coacting with at least one of said slides for retarding reciprocating movement thereof whereby to insure tilting movement of said hopper prior to each reversal of direction of said slides.

6. The apparatus described in claim 4 further characterized in that at least one of said slides is provided with an adjustable spring pressed brake shoe adapted to exert a predetermined frictional drag on said slides whereby to insure reverse movement of said studs and tilting of said hopper before said slides are reciprocated in a reverse direction at the end of a stroke in any one direction.

5 References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,570,405 Salerno Jan. 19, 1926 lo 1,891,622 Flockhart Dec. 20, 1932 2,206,313 Werner July 2, 1940 

